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Blood brain barrier is the main sensor to report the nutritional status, especially the lipid composition of consumed food to special neurons which in turn regulate insulin release, suggests a new study. 

Calories, on the other hand play a rather minor role in this process. 

Earlier researches have shown that lowered levels of insulin signaling increased lifespan in fruit flies. It was also thought that extreme caloric restriction was what lengthened lifespan. However, the new experiments show that the lipid composition made the difference. 

"Getting the same effect as caloric restriction just by switching the lipids in the diet would be pretty cool," researchers said in the press release. 

The study "Delivery of circulating lipoproteins to specific neurons in the Drosophila brain regulates systemic Insulin signaling" is published in the journal eLife.